The Best Candle Fragrance Oils – Review & Buyer’s Guide

by Emma Appling | Last Updated: November 22, 2019

The scented candle industry has grown impossibly large in the past 10 years. With an overabundance of different brands to choose from, many consumers feel confused about what they should purchase. On top of this, some of the candles available are simply not strong or long-lasting enough to warrant the investment.

This need for constant expansion is something that has driven many different scented candle fans to purchasing candle fragrance oils instead. With candle fragrance oils, you can create your own scented candles and also use the oils for a variety of other products!

The smell is very subtle in nature, it fits just as well for a community gathering as it does a personal bathroom. This oil is also vegan, allowing those who are trying to stay environmentally conscious to purchase it without any associated guilt.

To show you everything you need to know about best candle fragrance oils, we’ve created a buyer’s guide on the subject. We’ll be teaching you about the origins of candle fragrance oils, answering any questions you might have and taking a look at some of the market’s top products!

Before we go into this buyer’s guide, it is important to note that not all candle fragrance oils are safe for everyone. Because fragrance oils are heavily concentrated, it is important that you read the instructions that come with your product and do not ingest any of it. Candle fragrance oils should not be used near children and should only be used by responsible adults who are familiar with the instructions.

1. Gardenia Fragrance Oil – Best Overall Product For Soy Candles

Ideal for Any Situation

Out of all of the smells currently available on the market, there are few as versatile as gardenia. Because the smell is very subtle in nature, it fits just as well for a community gathering as it does a personal bathroom. In the event that you want to have it around at home all of the time, you can also do that without tiring of the smell. This oil is also vegan, allowing those who are trying to stay environmentally conscious to purchase it without any associated guilt.

Long-Lasting and Reliable

Due to the high concentration of the oil and the fact that you get 3.3 ounces, this product is very long-lasting. This is especially significant for those who are on a tight budget because you won’t have to purchase new oil anytime soon. That being said, the product itself is quite expensive when compared to other products on the market. P&J Trading is a well-reputed brand, but you should be prepared to pay good money for their products.

Pros

Subtle, but beautiful smell

Great for a variety of events

Vegan

Highly concentrated oil

Comes with 3.3 ounces

Cons

Price might be prohibitive for some

2. Gain Fragrance Oil – Best Synthetic Product

It Keeps Everything Smelling Fresh

Taking its name from the iconic Gain laundry detergent, this scent is very self-explanatory. It produces a completely artificial scent incredibly well, but you must first be a fan of the scent. In terms of synthetic smells on the market, you can’t do much better than this Gain fragrance oil. The price is also very moderate for a product of its size (2 ounces), making it a worthwhile investment for those looking for a unique scent.

You Get What You Pay For

Because this scent is inherently artificial and very affordable when compared to other options on the market, you definitely get what you pay for. This product also isn’t vegan! If you’re someone who is looking for a more authentic product, you should look elsewhere. That being said, anyone looking to make their home smell like Gain laundry detergent will love this.

Pros

Faithful recreation of the classic Gain smell

Comes with 2 ounces

Cons

Not vegan

3. Pumpkin Pie Fragrance Oil – Best Holiday Product

Perfect for Holiday Parties

There’s something so cozy about the smells that happen around the holiday season. Whether you’re celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or another holiday, it’s very likely that you associate pumpkins with this time of year. However, it’s important to clarify that we are speaking about the pumpkin spice smell and not actual pumpkins. Though this product is labeled as pumpkin pie, it closely resembles what many associate with pumpkin spice products.

From a Reliable Brand

Out of all of the brands in the fragrance oil market, P&J Trading are likely the most reliable for quality scents. Even though their pumpkin pie oil is technically synthetic, it still is vegan and provides you with a very authentic experience. The price is still expensive, but you will use this oil for the entire holiday season.

Pros

Authentic pumpkin pie smell

Vegan

Long-lasting

Cons

Price may be prohibitive for some

4. Amber Fragrance Oil – Best Rustic Smell

Match Your Interior Design

Though there are many different types of candle fragrance oils, a majority of them are focused on more herbal smells such as rosemary and lavender. Though these are wonderful smells, they might not always match the type of atmosphere that one wants to create when welcoming others into their home. This amber scented oil changes things up by giving consumers an accurate scent of the iconic tree resin. If you are someone who is more interested in rustic types of interior design, this oil will go incredibly well with your home. If you are more interested in floral smells, though, this will not be the oil for you.

Premium Grade Scented Oil

As you can see from our list of the top products available on the market, P&J Trading is a brand that really doesn’t disappoint. This fragrance oil is no different, giving you the great size and quality that you can always expect. As we’ve mentioned earlier, the only caveat is the expensive price!

Pros

Perfect for rustic environments

Accurate amber smell

Comes with 3.3 ounces

Vegan

Cons

The amber smell is not for everyone

5. Maple Pancake Fragrance Oil – Best Surprise Product

Not What You Would Expect

If you’re at all like us, you probably didn’t expect that a fragrance oil that smells like maple pancakes would be on a list of the market’s greatest products. However, this is definitely a unique scent that you won’t be able to forget anytime soon. We don’t know exactly how they do it, but it really does smell like maple pancakes. This is a great oil for those wanting to recreate the smell of Saturday mornings all of the time, you should look into this product.

A Very Affordable Price

By far the best aspect of this product is that it is the best budget product available. Though it only comes with 2 ounces, we doubt that this is a scent you’ll be using incredibly frequently. We recommend this oil for anyone wanting something different in their collection! It’s worth noting, though, that it isn’t vegan.

Pros

Accurate maple pancake smell

Affordable price

Cons

Not vegan

The Best Fragrance Oils – Buyer’s Guide

As some of the most popular household items available, scented candles are perfect for nearly any occasion. The wide variety of different smells allows consumers to have certain candles for specific occasions, resulting in many people having collections of scented candles. In this way, the scented candles that you use can be looked at as ways for you to express yourself.

In a world where we are able to display to others what music we like to listen to and which movies we prefer to watch, being able to share which smells we enjoy is an intimate and unique activity. By amassing a collection of scented candles, you can show the world a different side of yourself that you don’t often get to share.

How Do You Make Your Own Candles with Candle Fragrance Oils?

In order to begin making your own candles with fragrance oil, you will need to purchase a few ingredients and utensils to use:

In order to make your own candle, you must melt the wax. This is done in the double boiler by putting a bit of water into the double pan and putting the wax in afterward. The ideal temperature you are shooting for is between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit, so we recommend that you use your thermometer to keep track of the heat. You should use your spatula to help the wax dissolve quicker, pushing around the larger chunks.

Once the wax is entirely melted, you should begin attaching the wick to the container. You can use a number of different ways to do this, but we recommend adhering it with superglue to the bottom of the container. If you’re experienced with wax, you’re welcome to dip the wick into the hot wax and then place it into the container, but we recommend that beginners start with a task that is less complicated.

After the wax is melted, you should add the oils that you want to be infused into the candle. A good rule of thumb is to put in about an ounce of oil per each pound of wax, allowing the materials to be properly proportioned in the mix. You shouldn’t worry about putting too much oil in, but you should understand that the resulting candle will have a stronger smell than usual.

Let the oil cool for a couple of minutes and then take the temperature of the wax. If the temperature of the wax is between 130 and 140 degrees, you should pour some into the container. At this point in the creation process, you can pour as much wax as you want into as many containers as you have. After pouring the wax into the containers, put an old pen on top of the container to hold the wick in place. This is to prevent the wick from moving around too much while the wax is still hardening.

If you’re interested in following this process, we recommend that you check out this guide from the Art of Manliness that contains more in-depth information. In particular, they have helpful photos that are essential for anyone doing this process for the first time.

How to Choose the Best Candle Fragrance Oil

When looking for the best candle fragrance oil, there are a few factors that you should be considering:

Scent: The specific scent that you would like should be the driving force of your purchase. If you are unsure of which scent you want, you should consider the context in which you want to use your fragrance. For example, if you want to use your product at a formal gathering, you should choose something more subtle. On the other hand, if you want to have a smell specifically for your personal space, then you should choose whichever smell you want to be surrounded by.

Synthetic or Natural: As we said earlier in this buyer’s guide, one of the biggest differentiating factors between products is whether or not the oil is natural or synthetic. This is important to consider, as there are certain scents (i.e. laundry detergent) that are inherently synthetic.

Vegan: Though we would all like to live in a world where animals are not harmed by products, that is not always the case. If you are someone who is particularly invested in vegan products, you should be paying attention to which products advertise that they are vegan. Even though oils might seem vegan, that doesn’t mean they are.

Size of bottle: Though scent bottles are typically very small when compared to other types of products, it is still important to consider the size of the oil you purchase. For example, certain products may seem more expensive, but contain more oil than cheaper products. If you buy two bottles of the cheaper product, you may be losing money in the long run.

Price: This might seem like an obvious factor to keep in mind, but it can be quite significant when referring to candle fragrance oils. This is because cheaper oils will often be synthetic while more expensive oils will be more natural. For this reason, you should adjust your budget according to which type of product you want. While it is possible to find natural oils that fit within a small budget, it is not very likely and the quality of the product will be lower than more notable oils available.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Best Way to Use Candle Fragrance Oil?

The best ways to use candle fragrance oils are making candles, making soap, putting it into a diffuser, mixing a drop or two with lotion.In all of these situations, you will need to purchase other devices before you are able to fully use the oils. For this reason, we recommend that you plan in advance so that your budget accommodates the extra materials that you will need to buy.

Can I Use My Fragrance Oil for Therapeutic Purposes?

Though many people confuse fragrance oils with essential oils, they are ultimately different things. You are not supposed to use fragrance oils in place of any type of medical treatment and are recommended to get approval from a medical professional before using fragrance oils.

How Are Candle Fragrance Oils Made?

How a candle fragrance oil is made depends on the specific type of oil it is. For example, fragrance oils that are synthetic (i.e. made to smell like detergent or pumpkin pie) are mainly composed of synthetic compounds. In order to make the scent stronger and longer-lasting, they are fused with phthalates in a laboratory. The goal behind synthetic oils is to create smells that are not present in human nature, allowing scientists to have complete control over the smell. This might seem like an unusual process, but it is quite common – artificial flavors and smells have been commonplace in culture for a long time.

What Are the Advantages of Candle Fragrance Oil?

Candle fragrance oil is wonderful because it allows you to bottle up specific smells and bring them around with you wherever you go. Though it is still not possible to save every smell we encounter, using candle fragrance oils is a wonderful way to customize the scents you surround yourself with.

Precautions to Take When Using a Candle Fragrance Oil

By far the most important thing to keep in mind when using a candle fragrance oil is that you should not ingest the oil. Candle fragrance oils are specifically made for certain situations and you can put yourself at serious risk if you ignore these instructions. Candle fragrance oils are ultimately heavily concentrated versions of certain scents, making them potentially toxic products.

In order to make sure that you are using your candle fragrance oil properly, it is essential that you read the included instructions. As mentioned earlier in this buyer’s guide, you should also keep your products out of the reach of children and only use them around other adults.

In Conclusion

Out of all of the products we looked at for this buyer’s guide, none stood out to us like the Gardenia Fragrance Oil. It definitely is one of the more expensive products on our list, but the quality of the product is well worth the price. The included scent is very strong and is an accurate replication of a gardenia smell, making this an ideal product for someone who does not enjoy more artificial oils. This product is also subtle enough that it can be used for a variety of contexts, making it a great option for those looking to purchase one product and use it for many situations.

At the end of the day, the ideal candle fragrance oil for you will depend on your personal preference. For this reason, we recommend that you take the time to carefully consider which attributes you require in a product. In preparing this list, we made sure to include a good mixture of what is available on the market so you can find the ideal oil for your needs.

We hope that this guide was helpful so that the next time you are in the market for a candle fragrance oil, you know just where to begin your search!

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